Dr. Louis Pasquale Appointed to National Advisory Eye Council

Boston, Mass. — Louis R. Pasquale, MD, Director of the Glaucoma Service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and a Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, is one of three vision researchers to be appointed to the National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC) of the National Eye Institute (NEI) this year. The NAEC provides guidance on research, training and other NEI programs.

“NEI welcomes these new appointees; the breadth of their expertise will be invaluable,” said NEI director Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD “We look forward to receiving their guidance as we continue to advance vision research, translating discoveries into treatments and therapies for patients.”

NEI leads the federal government’s research on the visual system and eye diseases and conducts training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address special needs of people with vision loss. 

“The NEI serves such a vital function to the scientific community and my own research would not be possible without their support,” says Pasquale. “It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve the NEI as a scientific advisor.  I view this appointment as one of my most important committee assignments in my career.”

For a full roster of council members, meeting agendas, and other NAEC information, visit nei.nih.gov/about/naec.

Information for this release was provided by the National Eye Institute. For more information on the awards, please visit the full news release from the institute.

About Massachusetts Eye and Ear 

Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians and scientists are driven by a mission to find cures for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck.  Now united with Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass. Eye and Ear is the world's largest vision and hearing research center, developing new treatments and cures through discovery and innovation. Mass. Eye and Ear is a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and trains future medical leaders in ophthalmology and otolaryngology, through residency as well as clinical and research fellowships.  Internationally acclaimed since its founding in 1824, Mass. Eye and Ear employs full-time, board-certified physicians who offer high-quality and affordable specialty care that ranges from the routine to the very complex. In the 2015–2016 “Best Hospitals Survey,” U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass. Eye and Ear #1 in the nation for ear, nose and throat care and #1 in the Northeast for eye care. For more information about life-changing care and research, or to learn how you can help, please visit MassEyeAndEar.org.

About Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology

The Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Ophthalmology (eye.hms.harvard.edu) is one of the leading and largest academic departments of ophthalmology in the nation. More than 350 full-time faculty and trainees work at nine HMS affiliate institutions, including Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Joslin Diabetes Center/Beetham Eye Institute, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, VA Maine Healthcare System, and Cambridge Health Alliance. Formally established in 1871, the department has been built upon a strong and rich foundation in medical education, research, and clinical care. Through the years, faculty and alumni have profoundly influenced ophthalmic science, medicine, and literature—helping to transform the field of ophthalmology from a branch of surgery into an independent medical specialty at the forefront of science. 

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

NEI Media Contact
Joe Balintfy
National Eye Institute
301-496-5248
neinews@nei.nih.gov

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Media Contact
Suzanne Day
617-573-3897
Suzanne_Day@meei.harvard.edu